Chapter 127: Wang Shi’s Speculation

Chapter 127: Wang Shi's Speculation

As the imperial edict was sealed with the imperial seal, Concubine Chen looked at Emperor Chengde with tears in her eyes.

She remained silent, large drops of tears falling, blurring her vision and causing Emperor Chengde to sigh.

"The position of Crown Prince, I originally did not wish to appoint..."

Yet, Emperor Chengde could find no reason to object. The civil officials brought up ancestral rites and laws, while he still relied on Jian He from the military faction.

The Empress, holding the late emperor's edict, did not remain stubbornly strong. Instead, she knelt before him, her face pale, tears continuously falling.

"Your Majesty, I have never forgotten the fifth prince. I still remember that for the sake of the Great Qi, I shot and killed him with my own hands. I do not regret killing my own son, but deep down, I feel guilty. I gave him life, but he was not just my child; he was also the fifth prince of our dynasty, and should have been the Crown Prince. I have no regrets as Empress, but as a mother, I was unfit for my child, too cruel to him."

"What I did not expect was that Heaven fulfilled my dream; he survived. The fifth prince was well-educated, passing the autumn and spring examinations, and even being personally awarded the top scholar by Your Majesty.

"He came from my womb, and if he were still alive, he should be the Crown Prince of this dynasty. I ask Your Majesty to cherish his fate and his talents, and restore him to the imperial records as Crown Prince."

Jian Yunyao's words were gentle, repeatedly praising his wisdom, saying that his selection of the fifth prince as the top scholar was a sign of Heaven's will.

With the combined efforts of the civil and military officials, along with the Empress, Emperor Chengde finally issued the edict, and the entire court hailed him as the Ten Thousand Years Emperor. Jian He even offered to personally escort the Crown Prince back to the capital.

In the long-absent chorus of "Ten Thousand Years," Emperor Chengde felt a sense of lightness. If not for his promise to Concubine Chen, he might have gone along with the courtiers' words and considered how exceptional this Crown Prince truly was.

Without revealing his identity, the fifth prince had secured the top scholar title, an unprecedented achievement. Moreover, the arrow Jian Yunyao had shot was not a light one, and for him to survive was truly the will of Heaven.

The timing was just right, and Zhao Jiaze and his wife had just given birth to a baby boy.

Among the current princes, few had sons, and most had daughters.

Given these circumstances, Zhao Jiaze was the perfect choice for Crown Prince, a combination of heavenly timing, geographical advantage, and human harmony.

As Concubine Chen listened to Emperor Chengde's tone, her heart sank. She threw herself into the emperor's arms. "Your Majesty, I just feel heartache for you."

He Lanting's voice was small. "In truth, it's still because the Empress relies on her brother's abilities to force you to appoint a Crown Prince."

Even after crying, He Lanting's makeup remained clear. She gently touched Emperor Chengde's cheek and said softly, "Your Majesty, I just feel that you are still in good health. Did they really need to rush and appoint a Crown Prince? It's as if..."

He Lanting's implication was clear, as if Emperor Chengde wouldn't live much longer.

At this point, He Lanting spoke softly, "I don't want to say much, but with this Crown Prince in place, it's not a big deal. Everything is still under Your Majesty's control."

Emperor Chengde held He Lanting in his arms, and the slight sense of satisfaction he had felt about the returning Crown Prince faded.

"Don't worry, the Great Qi dynasty is still under my rule! Appointing a Crown Prince is not a big deal. If he does not perform well, I can depose him at any time."

He Lanting agreed, but in her heart, she was worried. With such a strong hand, would Zhao Jiaze truly be deposed?

Her Jier.

At times like these, He Lanting resented the death of her own child, and how Zeng Xiu, the old lady, had ruined her body, making it impossible for her to conceive.

If only she could have her own child, even with Zhao Jiaze's strong hand, she would have supported her own child to ascend this position.

·

"What?" Lin Baozhen, who had been playing with her child, stood up abruptly upon hearing that Fu Jiaze had become Zhao Jiaze and was appointed Crown Prince.

The child in her arms almost fell, which enraged Xie Yuan.

"How can you be so careless with the child?" Xie Yuan took the child into his arms, a look of dissatisfaction on his face as he looked at Lin Baozhen.

Xie Yuan, not knowing how to soothe the child, held him awkwardly, causing the child to cry even more.

Lin Baozhen, seeing Xie Yuan's demeanor, felt a sudden sense of injustice. In her previous life, Xie Yuan had been a doting husband. How could it be that now, after she had borne him a child, he treated her like this?

The old lady Ma quickly stepped in to smooth things over. Although she didn't particularly like Lin Baozhen, she acknowledged that Lin Baozhen was capable of bearing grandsons for their family.

After marrying Lin Baozhen, Xie Yuan hadn't given up on having children with others, but those attempts had all failed.

Having only one child was still risky, especially since the child had been dangerously ill some time ago, causing the old lady Ma great fear that this only heir might be lost.

If possible, the old lady Ma still hoped that Lin Baozhen would have another child with Xie Yuan.

"Baozhen is also surprised," the old lady Ma said. "How could her brother-in-law become the Crown Prince? Don't blame her. I'm surprised too. Give me the child."

The old lady Ma took the child and had the nanny take him out to play.

Upon hearing the old lady Ma's words, Lin Baozhen looked intently at Xie Yuan. "How did Fu Jiaze become Zhao Jiaze?"

Xie Yuan felt a bit uncomfortable, but since his mother was also curious about the fifth prince's situation, he explained the court matters.

Xie Yuan hadn't realized why he felt uncomfortable at first, but later remembered that Lin Baozhen had been betrothed to Fu Jiaze, which explained her concern.

As Xie Yuan explained these matters to Lin Baozhen, she was deeply shaken.

She had always thought Fu Jiaze was just a small county magistrate in a poor region, never expecting to amount to anything significant. Now, he had suddenly become the Crown Prince of the dynasty?

"This can't be," Lin Baozhen murmured.

If Fu Jiaze was so capable, why had she chosen not to marry him and instead married Xie Yuan, who was much older than her?

Upon learning this news, Lin Baozhen immediately wanted to return to her family home to tell her mother.

Although Lin Yi did not have the qualifications to attend court meetings, he was still well-informed and relayed this news to Wang Shi, who was stunned for a long time. Combining what her daughter had previously said, she made a guess.

Her daughter had once said that in her prophetic dream, Fu Jiaze remained a small county magistrate until his death. There were two possibilities regarding Fu Jiaze's death. One was that Fu Jiaze had truly died, his identity discovered, leading to his permanent demise at the border.

The other possibility was that he had faked his death. In her daughter's prophetic dream, the Empress had passed away. Without the Empress, it would have been extremely difficult for Zhao Jiaze to restore his status as a prince, let alone become the Crown Prince. Thus, faking his death allowed him to shed his constraints and reclaim his identity as a prince.

Wangshi waited until she saw her daughter, Lin Baozhen, before sharing her analysis.

Lin Baozhen had kept many details from her mother, Wangshi. At this moment, a shiver ran down her spine, and she felt that the second possibility was most likely true.

Fu Jiaze had already discovered his identity as a prince. He was going to become a prince, so he deliberately faked his death to shed his identity as a humble county magistrate.

Lin Baozhen bit her lower lip, feeling resentful. It wasn’t fair that she had married Fu Jiaze, only to remain a magistrate’s wife her whole life, while Lin Yingxue was returning as the Crown Princess!

Jealousy gnawed at Lin Baozhen’s heart like insects.

“About that dream of yours,” Wangshi looked at Lin Baozhen. She had actually wanted to bring it up two years ago. The so-called prophetic dream had only benefited two people: Lin Yingxue and her mother.

Lin Baozhen considered herself to be doing relatively well, as long as she didn’t compare herself to Lin Yingxue.

“Forget about it,” Wangshi said.

Lin Baozhen’s eyes widened. “Mother, that was—”

“Things have already changed,” Wangshi interrupted her daughter. “In your dream, you said the Third Prince could become the Crown Prince. Do you see any chance for the Third Prince now?” Wangshi paused, “In your dream, Fu Jiaze was just Fu Jiaze, but now he is the Crown Prince. With two powerful uncles and a great master, would he give any other prince a chance? He might even ascend to that position. What connection could you possibly have with him?”

Wangshi looked at Lin Baozhen. Compared to before she was married, Lin Baozhen had gained at least twenty jin in weight and no longer had the slender figure of a young girl.

Lin Baozhen’s face flushed red. How dare her mother question her charm? She was still…

“Enough,” Wangshi didn’t want to say more. Ever since her son’s incident, she had felt perpetually exhausted. If it weren’t for the gravity of this matter, she wouldn’t have spent any effort discussing it with her daughter.

“All the scheming will amount to nothing,” Wangshi looked at her daughter, knowing that she was still fixated on Lin Yingxue, even going so far as to inquire about how Lin Yingxue was doing outside.

Wangshi found it all pointless. “Go back home. Focus on living a good life with your husband; that’s what matters most.”